


Tale of Two Numbers and Spilt Ink

by Beautiful_lies_x



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Based on a text post, M/M, One Shot, University fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-19 23:05:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2406182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautiful_lies_x/pseuds/Beautiful_lies_x
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin breaks the printer. Then breaks down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tale of Two Numbers and Spilt Ink

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this text post: http://moonblossom.tumblr.com/post/99064697584/anifanatical-deliverusfromsburb-i-understand ((Yes, I want to write more of these prompts, and I probably will.))
> 
> Yes, I'm aware that they're a bit OOC in this, I'm sorry, I can't get their voices right.
> 
> Almost all of this work will not be beta'd. Any mistakes are mine.

Merlin scrunched his eyebrows in confusion when the printer beeped monotonously. “What is happening?” He muttered to himself. The beeping grew louder and higher in pitch as the printer began to spit out paper, sheet after sheet, inks stained along the once pure white. “Shit!” He exclaimed, eyes frantically following the erratic decisions of the printer.

“What the hell?” A voice drawled behind him, disbelieving and amused all in one. Merlin turned, panicked, to the only other person in the room.

“I don't know what I did!” He fretted, gesturing wildly to the device which now read ‘ **ERROR** ’ in bold letters.

“I'd say that it's fairly obvious.” The man responded dryly.

Merlin did not respond as he typically would, wittily and sharply, instead, he clung to the blonde's arm in desperation. “Can you fix it? I'm going to get in so much trouble! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” He chanted as the printer showed to signs of calming down. “There's a special place in hell for the people who fuck up printers. Can I get expelled for this?” Merlin grew far more stressed at the thought, “Holy shit, I'm going to get expelled, what if I get expelled? What if I can never print off my essay and I fail and I get kicked out and-” Embarrassingly, tears began to form in the distressed man's eyes, blurring his vision only slightly.

“Hey, hey, hey.” The blonde soothed, removing Merlin's clasped hand from his forearm. “It's fine, it's _fine_. We'll figure it out, don't stress, okay?”

Merlin nodded wordlessly, eyes wide in panic. "But what if-"

The blonde silenced his words with a soft hush, his lips quirked. "Just calm down...?" he paused, prompting Merlin into speech.

"Merlin." the brunet informed him, calmed and seemingly far more relaxed, "My name's Merlin."

The blonde snorted, amused.

Merlin's sharp eyes suddenly grew defensive, his eyebrow raised challengingly. "What? What's wrong with 'Merlin'?"

"Nothing!" The blonde surrendered, "It's just that my name's Arthur."

Merlin stared flatly at him, "Funny."

"No! _Seriously!_ " Arthur assured him, "It actually is."

Merlin grinned at him, "Well, at least I'm not the only one with abnormal parents." 

"I don't know about that." Arthur teased, mischievously. "Arthur's still a normal name."

"Shut up." Merlin whined.

Arthur smirked, opening his mouth to say something. His eyes abruptly filled with both awe and a little panic, his mouth opened wordlessly, staring behind the lanky man's shoulder. "Holy fuck." he finally whispered, making Merlin drop eye contact with him to face the monstrosity behind him.

The printer had spiralled out of control in the short time that they had stopped looking at it, the paper that could not be spat out fast enough jammed itself within the printer, torn and dark with ink stains. The same stains ran down from the top of the machine and dripped irregularly to the floor, joining the already dark puddle. Arthur and Merlin shared a look. The blonde closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face, before grabbing Merlin's hand.

"Well, you messed that up." He deadpanned.

"Oh my _God_." Merlin breathed in response.

Arthur squeezed his hand and began leading him away from the printer.

"Woah, what are you doing?" Merlin exclaimed.

Arthur shrugged, "I'll call someone, okay? It's okay. The school'll get a techie to fix it. In the meantime, they don't need to know that it was _our_ fault." 

"I need a coffee." Merlin groaned.

Arthur grinned, "Right there with you."

Merlin grinned tiredly, "Does that make it a date?" he teased.

Arthur responded seriously, "Do you want it to be?"

He held his hand tighter in response.

 

The next morning, ( _afternoon)_ when he woke up, Merlin poured himself a coffee. As he drank it, he flicked through his mail. Mostly bills, but also two phone numbers that had been slipped under his door when Arthur walked him home last night.

One? The number to a printer repairs company.

And the other? What would soon be the most dialled number in his phone. The contact that would eventually read: _Boyfriend Prat-face._

Because there has to be  _some_ balance to knock down his ego.


End file.
